Value HTPC

My official recommendations always include only components that I have tested myself. This page has been published in October 2016 and the system still works really well in my home.

Due to many requests from my readers, here you can find a work in progress page of my untested 2019 Value HTPC build. Unfortunately, due to my full time job, I am not able to build new computers at the moment.

This sub-$700 Value HTPC provides great HD video and 3D Blu-ray performance with an excellent value to price ratio. It uses a quiet CPU cooler and fan, making it very quiet.

This is THE HTPC at the moment, especially if you plan to build an all-in-one HTPC, DVR (Digital Video Recorder) and media server to stream video to other devices using Plex Media Server or Emby Server.

The system includes an Intel Core i3 processor which has enough processing power for transcoding 1080p HD video.

I have chosen the Intel Core i3-6100 Skylake processor because it is a very low power, but fast CPU with only 51W TDP (Thermal Design Power). It has an integrated graphics chip, the Intel HD 530, which is a lot faster when compared to Intel’s previous generations. Intel HD 530 also supports 4K Ultra HD at 24 Hz via HDMI 1.4.

In case you are wondering, different numbers in Intel Core i3 indicate what processor clock speeds they are using, which Intel HD graphics model and whether the voltage has been adjusted or not.

The letters at the end of Intel Core processor models mean whether it is possible to overclock the processor or whether the processor has already being underclocked for better power efficiency.

T-models in the Intel processor line up are great choices for a HTPC as they are undervolted and underclocked meaning that they require less power and thus less cooling.

However, T-models are a bit more expensive and may be harder to find from your preferred store.

I’m still recommending Silverstone GD06 as the ideal home theater box type of case. I purchased and tested a newer and slightly bigger Silverstone GD09 case, but it supports only two hard drives.

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Step-by-Step Build Instructions

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